High-speed conveyor junction based on an air-jet floatation technique

This paper investigates how forces developed by air-jets might be used to convey or manipulate delicate planar objects at high-speed without damage. The theory of turbulent jets and classic fluid mechanics are used in combination with practical experiments to establish how air-jet velocities and forces are related to orifice size and supply pressure. The basic stability problem of how to support a planar object on a single or multiple-array of air-jets is discussed. A passive control solution is developed based on the insertion of a porous layer between the object and the air-jets. This solution is incorporated in a mechatronic conveyor junction that can selectively re-direct or lane rigid or flexible planar objects from one conveyor to another mounted at right angles. In trials the conveyor junction reliably handled fragile biscuits at more than eight per second and could re-direct objects travelling at up to 2.5 m/s.